Fluid-pressure automobile control mechanism.



N. TAYLOR. FLUID PRESSURE AUTOMOBILE CONTROL MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 26. 1912. 1 141389,

Patented June 1, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

WITNESSES I [NVE N? "0/8 I @dw ofylw N. TAYLOR. FLUID PRESSURE AUTOMOBILE CONTROL MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 26. I912.

Patented June 1, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2- I l 5 W qWW 5 N TAYLOR FLUID PRESSURE AUTOMOBILE CONTROL MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 26. I912.

Patented June 1, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

[1V VEN T OR ZZ Alluring WITNESSES OWL/ 1 N. TAYLOR. FLUID PRESSURE AUTOMOBILE CONTROL MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 26. l9l2.

Patented June 1, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4- T04? S oan wih n coow NICHOLAS TAYLOR, OF MUSKO'GEE, OKLAHOMA, ASSIGNOR,- BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF THREE-FOURTHS TO TAYLOR AUTOMATIC AIR CONTROL COM- PANY, A CORPORATION OF OKLAHOMA, ONE-EIGHTH TO E. A. EDMONDSON, AND ONE-EIGETH TO FRANK STROUPE, ALI: OF MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA.

FLUID-PRESSURE A'O'TOMOBILE CONTROL MECHANISM.

Application filed October 26, 191a. Serial No. 727,994.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, NICHOLAS TAYLOR, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Muskogee, .in the county of Muskogee and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fluid- Pressure Automobile Control Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means, actuated by fluid pressuremedium, for introducing, at will, any one of the several mechanisms which control the driving and braking elements of a self-propelled vehicle, and par ticularly to the means through which the supply of the pressure medium to the actuators of the several elements is controlled at the will of the operator.

One object of the invention is to provide a valve mechanism simple in construction and convenient in operation, to which end the invention employs a pair of rotary valves, independently adjustable but having a common operating means; said operating means being movable into operating relation to either valve at will, but being out of operating relation to each valve when it is in operating relation to the other valve; one of said valves called the selecting valve having connections through which it selectively controls the actuator of any one of several transmission elements (one or more speed gears, with or without reverse gear), and the other of said valves, called the master valve, controlling the supply of pressure medium to the selecting valve, as well as to a master driving member, and one or more braking members.

Another object is to prevent certain sequence of actions between certain of the controlling elements, such as selecting or changing a speed gear while the prime mover is in driving relation to such speed gear, to which end the common operating member is prevented from reaching the selecting valve until after it has moved the master valve to release the master controlling element.

Other objects relate to considerations of economy of production, durability in use, and convenience in operation of the several mechanisms or parts entering into the construction of elements and the above defined general organization of said elements.

As hereinafter pointed'out in the claims,

Specification of Letters Patent.

,lPatented June 1, 1915.

some of the novel features of the present invention reside in certain cooperative relationships existing between certain of the elements, of which the disclosed constructional embodiments are merely illustrative rather than definitive, While other novel features reside in the general organization of such elements; and still others reside in the constructional characteristics of the particular elements herein disclosed as the preferred instrumentalities throughwhich to realize such cooperative relationships and general organizations.

One embodiment of the subject matter of the present invention is shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an axial section of the complete valve on the line 1--1, Figs. 3 and 3"; therelations of the mechanism controlled by .said valve being suggested schematically;

through the master valve when in position to exhaust all the controlling elements, thereby releasing the clutch and permitting the brakes to apply under their own contained power, and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the casing .and its valves segregated; Fig. 7 is an assembled view partly in section, showing diagrammatically the relative positions of the valve and the cylinders, with their connections.

Referring to Fig, 1, a master valve 1 fitted in a casing 2, is rotated through its stem 3 by an arm 4, while a selecting "alve 5, fitted in the casing 6, (preferably made ntegral with casing 2) is rotated through its stem 7 by an arm 8. The valves are preferably in the form of taper plugs to facilitate keeping 'them'tight, and they are held in their seats by the caps 9 and 10. A common operating arm 11 fitted to rotate around the stems 3 and 7, is adapted to move vertically into engagement with either of the valve arms 4 and 8, at the will of the operator, and to rohaust channels 24 adapted to be brought, by

tate either of said valve arms as hereinafter explained. A-spring 12 is preferably em ployed to hold the arm 11 downward.

The master valve 1 is constructed with an air channel 13 adapted to communicatewith the air supply pipe 1 1 leading from a source of'compressed air 15; said air channel being circumferentially, extended to adapt said channel to continue in communication W1th said air supply, during further rotation. of

the valve to bring said air channel into successive communication in the order named,

with four ports16, 17, 18 and 19 in the easing 2, connected respectively, through pipes 13, 17 duct '18 and pipe 19 with the releasing piston 20 of a normally applied emergency brake, the releasing piston 21 of a. normally applied service brake, the supply passage'22 of the selecting valve 5, andv the applying "piston 23 of the master driving element or-clutch. The valve 1 also has exa counter-rotation of the valve 1, into communication in the ordernamed, .with the.

clutch port 19, the service brake port 17 and the emergency brake passage 16. The supply port 22 for the selecting valve. 5 is o'fl'set from the transverse plane of the ports 16,

17, 18 and 19, being connected by the ducts 18 and 18? and the port18'with the channel 13, and said duct'1 8 is adapted to con.

tinue. in communication with the port 22' during that portion of the forward rotation of the master valve which brings the supply channel 13 into communication with ,theclutch port 19. But when the exhaust channel 24: reaches the port 18 in counter-rotation of valve 1, the duct 18 will have retreated any particular actuator, that-is for the time back of port 18 leading to the selecting valve passage 22, so that air will'not -be exhausted back from the selecting valve, and

being, supplied through-said selecting valve will remain with the air trapped therein. The exhaust 24 discharges into the intermediate space 25 of the'casing, whence it es capes through an exhaust port 26.

with the first speed gear actuator 35,through pipe 31 with the second speed gear actuator 36, through pipe 32 'with the third. speed gear actuator 37, and through pipe; 33? with the fourth speed gear actuator 38. V

mitted through the already selected trans- The reverse port 29, together with. the speed gear ports 30, 31, 32 and 33 are in a diiferent transverse plane from the air channel 27, but theyareadapted to be broughtlseparately and selectively into communication ently' of the master valve 1 to establish a line'of air supply from 22, throu h'28 to 27 and through 39 to either one o the ports 29, 30, 31, 32 or 33, so that whenever the port 18 in the casing 2 is uncovered by duct 18 communicating withthe channel 13 of the master valve, air will enter that one of the actuators 3438 which has been selected by the position of the valve 5, and will throw in the gear havingthe transmission value desired. The channel 27 is made circumferentially continuous, primarily to'balance the pressure on the valve 5. In order to balance pressure exerted upon the air of the duct 39, a diametrically opposite blind duct 39 may be provided. This will be 10- cated at a point which will prevent its com- 7 municating with either of the ports 293 3.

- Valve 5 is further provided with exhaust ports 40 in the transverse plane of the ports 29 133 and sufiicient in' number to communicate with all'of the'ports 29, 30, 31, 32 and 33, except the particular port that is for the time being in communicat on with the. duct 39. That is to say there are, on either side in which event the exhaust ports will be symmetrically distributed, so that each se-' lecti'nv portdvill be in communication with I 25- between the valves, so that exhaust reaches-atmosphere through the port 26.,

. It will be understood that the valves 1 and5 may be rotated independently of each other and made to assume any desired relative angular positions for accomplishing the purposes for which they are intended. That ,-1S to say, valvei5 may be rotated to select any one of the transmission element actuators for receiving pressure, all the others bemg simultaneously open to exhaust, and then while valve 5 is left in such selected pos1t1on, valve l-may be rotated- .to'take off ofthe duct 39, a number of exhaust ports equal-to the number ofselecting ports, less one, unless the ports 2933 should be symmetrically distributed around the casingfi,

the brakes, and then communicate air to said valve 5- and through it to the selected transmission element to throw said element into driven relation to the motor, after which contmued rotation, valve 1 throws in the 'clutch or master driving element, so that the motor will .deliver the power to be trans? communication between duct 18 and passage 22, trapping air in the selected transmission actuator, and permitting the vehicle to coast; or valve 1 may be counterrotated still further, to exhaust air from one or both of the brakes, and permit them to act to bring the vehicle to rest.

In order to retain eitherof the valves 1 and 5 in the position to which it may be rotated, notwithstanding adjusting movement that may be imparted to the other of said valves, valve arms 4 and 8 are provided, respectively, with the dogs 4 and 8 adapted to enter the graduated notches 4", 8 in the casing 41, within which the arms are housed for protection and to prevent manipulation otherwise than through the common controlling arm 11. A segmental curb 42 on casing 41 is engaged by a hook 43 on operating. arm 11 and extends a suflicient distance to positively prevent the operating arm 11 passing from the arm 4 of the master valve 1, to the arm 8 of the selecting valve 5, until said arm 11 has moved the valve 1 to a position where at least the clutch is thrown out, the arm being moved to where the brakes will be still held oif or to a point where they are permitted to be thrown on, as may be desired. To insure engagement of the arms4 or 8, said arms are provided with notches 4, 8, to admit the arm 11. If desired, in order that either valve arm may be'picked up immediately, without the necessity of swinging the arm 11 to any particular point, said arms 4 and. 8 can be arcuately extended and their notches multiplied. The position of the valve 1 will be realized by the eflect of the clutch or the brake which it controls and which can be readily detected by an occupant of the vehicle. The position of the valve 5 will be indicated by an index 44 and the designations R (indicating reverse) and 1, 2, 3 and 4 (indicating the different speeds).

In Fig. 7 is shown the preferred arrangement of building the cylinders in pairs, the two inner pairs being for the diiierent speeds and the two outer ones for the clutch and brakes. In the speed cylinders the pressure air is admitted at the ends by the respective pipes. A piston 50, 51 is provided ateach end and guided by the central slide 54, on either side of which is acompression spring 52, 53 pushing the pistons apart.

Cylinder 35 is shown in action, receiving pressure from pipe 30. On the upper piston being pushed downward, the two springs become compressed, forcing the slide downwardand through the connection rod 55 the first speed gear will be, thrown into action leaving however, the piston in cylinder 36 and its connectionwith this second speed. gear undisturbed. On cutting ofi the pressure, the ports return into symmetrical position, actuated by the springs. The outer twin cylinders 20, 34 and 21, 23 are ar- .pressure controlled selective drive-member actuators, independently adjustable master and selecting valves for controlling the supply of fluid to the respective actuators named, and means through which the master valve controls supply of fluid to the selecting valve.

2. A fluid pressure controlling system for motor vehicles, comprising a fluid-pressure controlled master-member actuator, fluidpressure controlled selective drive-member actuators, independently adjustable master I and selecting valves for controlling the supply of fluid to the respective actuators named, and means through which the master valve controls supply of fluid to the selecting valve; said master valve being adapted to exercise its control over the selecting valve in advance of controlling the master member actuator.

3. A fluid pressure controlling system for motor vehicles, comprising a fluid-pressure controlled master member actuator, fluid pressure controlled selective drive-member actuators, independently adjustable master and selecting valves for controlling the sup ply of fluid to the respective actuators named, and means through which the master valve controls supply of fluid to the selecting valve, said system embodying a brake actuator and a clutch actuator, and said master vali e exercising its control over the brake actuator, then over the selecting valve, and then over the clutch-actuator.

4. A fluid pressure controlling system for motor vehicles, comprising a fluid-pressure controlled master member actuator, fluidpressure controlled selective drive-member actuators, independently adjustable master and selecting valves for controlling the supply of fluid to the respective actuators named, and means through which the master valve controls supply of fluid to the selecting valve; said system embodying a brake actuator and a master clutch actuator, and said master valve exercising its control over the selecting valve in advance of controlling the master clutch actuator; said master 5. In a fluid pressure control for motor vehicles, a master controlling element, a selective controlling element; independently movable valves for therespective controlling elements; and a common manipulating arm movable at will into controlling relation to either valve; said arm being out of controlling relation to each. valve when in controlling relation to the other valve.

6. In a fluid pressure control for motor vehicles, a master controlling element, a selective controlling element; independently movable valves for the respective controlling elements; and a common manipulating arm movable at will into controlling relation to either valve; said arm being out of controlling relation to each valve when in controlling relation to the other valve, means being provided to prevent movement of said arm from one controlling position to the other when the master controlling valve is open.

7. In a fluid pressure control for motor vehicles, a master controlling element, a selective controlling element; independently movable valves for the respective controlling elements; and a common manipulating arm movable at will into controlling relation to either valve; said arm being out of controlling relation to each valve when in controlling relation to the other valve; said valves having controlling levers moving in parallel paths and said arm being located intermediatelv of said levers with transverse movement to engage either lever at will.

8. In a fluid pressure control for motor vehicles, a master controlling element, a selective\ controlling element; independently movable valves for the respective controlling elements; and a common manipulating arm movable at will into controlling-rela-- tion to either valve; said arm being out of controlling relation to each valve when in controlling relation to the other valve; said valves having controlling levers moving in parallel paths and said arm being located intermediately of said levers with transverse movement to engage either lever at will; there being a barrier interposed to the movement of the controlling arm between said levers, corresponding in position to that portion of the path of the master element lever occupied by said lever, when said master element is in operation, thereby enforcing the inoperative position of the master element before the selective element can be changed.

9. In a fluidpressure control for 'motor vehicles, two independently operable rotary valves, mounted upon the same axis and,

respectively, adapted to control communication of pressure fluid to independent controlling elements; arms carried by therespective valves, and a common controlling arm mounted to swing about the axis of the lever arms, and movable in the plane of said axis to engage either valve arm at'will.

' 10. In a fluid pressure control for motor vehicles, two independently operable rotary valves, mounted upon the same axis and, respectively, adapted to control communication of pressure fluid to independent controlling elements; arms carried by the re-- spective valves, and a common controlling arm mounted to swing about the axis; of the leverarms, and movable in the plane of said axis to engage either valve arm at will, each of said valve arms having a ratchet for holding it in the position to which it is set.

The foregoing specification signed at Washington, District of Columbia, this 26 day of October, 1912. I

. NICHOLAS TAYLOR. In presence of two witnessesz ELWIN S. CLARKsoN, ERVEY S. KNIGHT. 

